When it seemed that the Suns were unable to resign Amar’e Stoudemire, they went ahead and signed Hakim Warrick.  Obviously Warrick isn’t Amar’e Stoudemire (for one Warrick signed a four-year contract worth up to $18 million while Amar’e will be getting a deal in the vicinity of 6 years $100 million), but it does seem that the Suns plan on using Warrick as Stoudemire’s replacement next year.  Now, there is no way that Warrick is going to duplicate Stoudemire’s production, but if he can at least get close while playing similar to Amar’e then this is a good signing.

Mike Schmitz of Valley Of The Suns did a fantastic job of getting the ball rolling on this topic, looking at Warrick’s strengths and weaknesses and looking to see if he can fit with the Suns.  I am basically just working off of that here, and I will be looking to see if Warrick’s game is similar enough to Stoudemire’s to effectively replace him.

When you think Phoenix Suns basketball you think of Steve Nash working off an Amar’e Stoudemire screen, running the pick and roll to perfection.  So the first thing that we need to look at is to see if Hakim Warrick can run the pick and roll effectively as the screener.  To do this, we need to breakdown every aspect of the pick and roll.

The Screen

With a one inch and a thirty pound edge (Amar’e is 6’10″ 249 lbs while Warrick is 6’9″ 219 lbs), you would think that Amar’e Stoudemire would have an advantage when it comes to setting screens, however this is not the case.  When Stoudemire sets screens he never really makes contact with the defender, opting to use speed to his advantage when rolling.  This also allows for Steve Nash to work his magic:

Hakim Warrick sets screens the same way, not really looking to create contact but just to get in the defender’s way enough to free up a roll:

The Roll

As I mentioned right above, both of these players like to rely on their athleticism and the ability of the point guard to score when rolling on a pick and roll.  Both are effective when finishing at the rim after the catch.  According to Hoopdata.com, both players shot over 60% at the rim (Amar’e shot 67% on 551 attempts while Warrick shot 61.2% on 245 attempts).  Again, I see no real difference when watching both of these players roll on a screen and roll.

The Pop

In my opinion, this is where the big drop off in the Suns’ offense next year will be.  Something that Amar’e Stoudemire doesn’t get enough credit for is his ability to pop after setting a screen and knocking down a jumper.  Last year, Stoudemire shot 42.9% from 10-23 feet (normally where a player shoots from on a pick and pop).  Meanwhile, Warrick shot just 38.3% from the same distance on 190 less attempts (I think as Warrick’s attempts rise, which will happen with the Suns, he will shoot even worse).

When Amar’e makes the catch, he is comfortable and confidently takes the jumper, knocking it down.

Notice when Hakim Warrick makes the catch off of a pop.  He is unsure and doesn’t really know whether to attach the basket or take the jumper.  The result is passing up an open lane to take an off balance fall away jumper.

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I have seen Hakim Warrick called a poor man’s Amar’e Stoudemire or Amar’e-light since he signed with the Suns, and I think that is a perfect description for him at this point.  Warrick’s game is similar to Stoudemire’s when setting screens and rolling off of them, however where Warrick’s game drops off is when he pops off of a screen to take a jumper.  Warrick’s inability to knock down a jumper takes away an entire option for the Suns, allowing defenses to concentrate on other aspects of the Suns’ offense.